Hayao Miyazaki

Miyazaki at the Oscarshttps://www.oscars.org/collection-highlights/hayao-miyazakiThere’s no question that Hayao Miyazaki has an eye for detail. His captivating way of storytelling and giving life to his characters in his animated films has certainly made him a well renowned animator and director to many people around the world and to the filmmaking industry. Many ideas for his films have come from his beliefs and from influences he has carried with him since he was younger. Whereas usual films in cinema heavily touch on the moral of “good vs. evil,” Miyazaki generally prefers to have characters that are neither really good nor really bad in his films to show that they all have a good reason for fighting and acting the way they do. It is very rare and hard to find an executive in the film industry who stands by their word and who is not afraid to voice their controversial opinions like Miyazaki.

A scene from his 2013 film "The Wind Rises"https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/10816014/Hayao-Miyazaki-interview-I-think-the-peaceful-time-that-we-are-living-in-is-coming-to-an-end.htmlAs many animators and directors have experienced, there is always a spark of interest that influences them to pursue their dreams and careers from experiences in their early lives. Born in Tokyo on January 5, 1941, Miyazaki started drawing when he was a child. His main subjects to draw were airplanes, since he was exposed to his father’s and uncle’s large airplane factory. As a result, his work is thematically and heavily influenced by the flying machines he drew. The drawing abilities he worked on since childhood drew him into starting a career in animation in the early '60s for the studio Toei Studio Douga. He was noticed for his impressive drawing ability and abundant number of movie ideas he created while starting his career. From here, he moved to work with A Pro studio with Isao Takahata in 1971, then to Nippon Animation in 1973, where he was involved in the World Masterpiece Theater TV animation series for the next five years.

Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki, and Isao Takahata respectivelyhttps://sgcafe.com/2018/08/said-aout-ghibli-producer-toshio-suzuki-admits-late-director-isao-takahata-worked-people-death-nightmare/“Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind”https://www.ifccenter.com/films/nausicaa-of-the-valley-of-the-wind/The well-known animation studio Studio Ghibli would soon be the outcome of Miyazaki’s experience of animating and directing many of his own series, starting with his first TV series “Future Boy Conan,” released in 1978. He directed his first movie classic of “The Castle of Cagliostro” with Tokyo Movie Shinsha in 1979. The film that gave him the opportunity to start Studio Ghibli was “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” that was released in 1984. Miyazaki had to work with producer Isao Takahata, to gather a willing staff together, and to have enough financial support to produce this successful film. Another reason why the success of “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” was so special was because it was based on a manga of the same title that he had previously worked on and started before. Miyazaki has since written, directed, and produced many films with longtime friend Takahata and with film producer and former Studio Ghibli president Toshio Suzuki.

A scene from his 1989 film "Kiki's Delivery Service"https://www.hercampus.com/school/u-mass-amherst/why-studio-ghibli-films-are-most-feminist-animated-pictures-today"Princess Mononoke"https://www.tiff.net/events/princess-mononoke"Laputa: Castle in the Sky" movie posterhttps://www.fathomevents.com/events/studio-ghibli-fest-2018-castle-in-the-skyThe official first movie produced under Studio Ghibli was “Laputa: Castle in the Sky” that was released in 1986. During Studio Ghibli’s activity through the 1980s to the 2010s, many of these films directed by Miyazaki have similar recurring themes. One noticeable trademark in these films is the appearance of strong female lead characters. This is due to Miyazaki having strong feminist views. While these films do have a strong focus on their female protagonists, male protagonists play important and positive roles in these films as well. Rather than the stereotypical masculine roles that males are subjected to in cinema, Miyazaki gives his male characters the same ambitions as his female characters and has them grow equally together in his animated films. Miyazaki inputting strong female leads in his films is a great example that showcases that he is not afraid of expressing his views and opinions to the public and staying true to his beliefs. Another way that shows that Miyazaki cares very deeply about his work is how he carefully decides who licenses his work and being heavily involved with how his films are released to the public through this licensing. When he heard that his 1997 film “Princess Mononoke” was going to be changed for American audiences by Miramax, “he allegedly sent the American-language version's producers a katana with a two-word note attached: "No cuts." Miyazaki knew that a film truly loses its initial message, impact, and story when it is changed for translation to be publicized to other parts of the world. Not only does this situation help the film industry think twice before altering foreign films, but it also promotes the sharing of different cultures through film. A film’s story and scenes should not be changed because the audience might not get the reference or origin. Let the audience learn and broaden their beliefs and knowledge from watching the original, unaltered version of translated foreign films.

Miyazaki working in his studiohttps://wowjapan.asia/2017/10/hayao-miyazaki-returning-making-films-grandson-toshio-suzuki/Miyazaki being interviewed for a documentaryhttps://thefilmstage.com/trailer/the-kingdom-of-dreams-and-madness-trailer-brings-us-inside-studio-ghibli/Miyazaki inspires animators, artists, filmmakers, and directors alike. The films he has worked on, directed on, and animated for are all very memorable to his audience because he puts himself into his work. Miyazaki has talked a lot about retirement from making films, with his first mention being in 1997, but it’s reasonable from this hardworking creator to do so. Since he has put so much strenuous physical and mental effort for each Ghibli film he produced throughout the years to be at the best quality possible, he went into retirement in 2014 after releasing his 2013 film “The Wind Rises.” But as all artists are, he still has the creative urge for creating new stories and ideas and especially making animation in Miyazaki’s case. Fortunately, this urge has given him enough drive to open up Studio Ghibli for one last animated film named “How Do You Live?” that is to be released between 2020 and 2021. No matter what age a person is, everyone can enjoy Miyazaki’s contribution to the animated film industry. From appreciating the breathtaking visuals, smooth animation, stylized and deep characters, and compelling stories that each film never fails to provide, rewatching and watching his films for the very first time is an enthralling experience and moment that one will ever forget. The legacy of his timeless and iconic animated films will always be remembered and enjoyed for generations to come.

Works Cited

“Biography for Hayao Miyazaki.” Turner Classic Movies, www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/522404%7C0/Hayao-Miyazaki/biography.html.

Empire. “Hayao Miyazaki.” Empire, Bauer Media Group., www.empireonline.com/people/hayao-miyazaki/.

“Hayao Miyazaki (Creator).” TV Tropes, tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/HayaoMiyazaki.

“Hayao Miyazaki.” IMDb, IMDb.com, www.imdb.com/name/nm0594503/bio.

Kenny, Glenn. “'Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki' Review: Animation Giant, Retired and Restless.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 13 Dec. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/12/13/movies/never-ending-man-hayao-miyazaki-review.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FMiyazaki%2C%2BHayao.

“Who Is Hayao Miyazaki? Everything You Need to Know.” Childhood, Life Achievements & Timeline, www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/hayao-miyazaki-4814.php.